A Second Home in the Big House of Stone - Zimbabwe

People say, "Home is where the heart is."  If that saying is true, then I truly have a home in a land where I have no ancestral roots - a land where, to my knowledge, no one in my family has ever visited - a land where I have no family connection - a land where I have nothing to own and where I desire nothing to own.  My home is not built of bricks and mortar nor wood and nails.  My home is solely a place where part of my heart resides.  Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe. Some say there is confusion about what the name means. It seems that "Zimbabwe" comes from two Shona (one of the local Zimbabwean languages) words describing the structure that is partially pictured above.  That structure is called in modern times, "Great Zimbabwe." In ancient times, it was home to the Shona King. Great Zimbabwe is a historical site today and can be visited today.  It is near the modern Zimbabwean city of Masvingo.  Pictures do not do Great Zimbabwe justice! At first glance, Great Zimbabwe doesn't even look so "great." Most of the fortress is built on what appears to be a small hill.  That "hill" is not so small after you try to climb it! There are millions of hand laid stones that have stood for hundreds of years - with absolutely NO MORTAR!

This stone palace - Great Zimbabwe - is where the modern nation derives its name.  Zimbabwe comes from 2 Shona words. "dzimba" meaning "Big House" and "ibwe" meaning "stone."  Big House of Stone.

My love of Zimbabwe began several years ago. My wife and I lost our teaching jobs in Ohio and moved to North Carolina because she had family here.  We found jobs about 2 hours away from them. In the town where we settled, we met a couple at church who had twin boys who were the same age as our then infant son.  We shared a lot in common with them. That couple was originally from Zimbabwe. They came to America after college for an "adventure."

Through them, I learned slowly about life and culture in Zimbabwe.  And through them, I met my friend John - a Zimbabwean pastor who leads an African congregation in America. He and I attended licensing school together - a requirement for Methodist Pastors in America.  We became instant friends.

After a few years of friendships and idle talk of visiting, my seminary graduation present was a trip to Zimbabwe with John.  I was instantly in love with the land and the people! I made friendships that will never be broken!

Our first trip was part vacation and part mission trip.  We did work in churches and helped individuals as we found needs, but yet it was also a chance for me to see a new place. For John, it was a chance to see the land of his birth through my eyes.

I was taken in by the hospitality of everyone! Visiting is like being a royal guest. There is no such thing as imposing on anyone. When visiting someone, the first thing that happens is that you will be fed. If it is meal time, be prepared to eat! You will NOT go hungry!

Hosts and friends will devote one hundred percent of their time and energy to guests. This is not out of obligation - this is out of genuine love! Schedules can be rearranged - but time with a guest cannot. If, by chance the host has an appointment that absolutely cannot be missed, the host will make sure that the guest is well taken care of!

Despite what people hear about Zimbabwe on Western News sources, I have never felt safer anywhere than I have in Zimbabwe.  Of course, there is crime in Zimbabwe - there is crime anywhere.  The crime, however, is well controlled and not a common occurrence. I was in very rich areas, very poor areas, and everything in between. I can honestly say that I never felt unsafe! Well, last year, on my first trip, we were at a game park, and we were told that a lion had been seen a few months earlier - I did feel slightly in danger - but I never felt unsafe because of people!

Even Zimbabwean authorities are polite while they are doing their jobs. Customs agents are charged with searching luggage, checking documents, and maintaining a fast flow of people at the airport.  This is not a job I envy! No one enjoys going through that department, and I'm sure they receive rude comments on a frequent basis.  Each experience I had with them, however, was polite.  They asked permission before opening my bags.  They smiled when greeting me.  They welcomed me into their country.  I cannot say the same about my own TSA agents in the United States.  They were rude, sarcastic, and even yelled at me and others.  Yes, I'm sure it's a monotonous and stressful job.  I'm sure they get asked many "dumb" questions.  But, these are the first faces that a person sees upon entering the country. I felt welcomed when I entered Zimbabwe. And trust me...I asked some dumb questions just to make sure I did the correct things.  I felt embarrassed entering the United States.  We can do better! I feel sorry for those particular TSA agents...you have an important job, but you are not THAT important that you can't treat someone as a human being!

Describing exactly why  Zimbabwe will forever be another home to me is difficult. It's not just the hospitality.  It's not just the welcome I received.  It's not just the sights I saw.  It's not just the friendships.  All of those things combined can give part of the reason that Zimbabwe is another home to me, but some reasons are beyond words.

Sometimes, when you've been away from home a long time or after a long day, you get home.  You get to your favorite place in your house and you exhale and everything just feels right.  You feel at home.  That is how I feel when I'm at home here in the USA.  That's how I feel when I'm with those I love in Zimbabwe.

Stop Already!

I had great intentions of writing a semi-specific blog post about some situation in the past couple months, adding some theology, describing how we as humans just need to love more, and how...well...blah blah blah.

It seems there's been an onslaught of stupid avoidable crap lately! I'd use stronger words, but I'm trying to control myself.

Racist shootings, unnecessary violence, political drama, plane crashes, taunting of black college students (on multiple occasions), using the Bible to condone outright oppression, killing of innocent civilians, murders, rapes...Ugh...I know I'm forgetting a lot here.

I honestly can't keep track of it all. It's weighing me down. I try to process one injustice or crime and another happens. Seriously people, what the hell?

Just stop it! I don't need to go into why any of this is wrong. If you don't know by now, you choose not to know. OK, there may be a small portion of the population out there that is genuinely ignorant (meaning "not knowing"), and they need to be educated. The rest of us - we should know how to act.

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday - the day Jesus gave the commandment to, "Love one another as I have loved you."  It's a Commandment, people, not a suggestion.  Is it difficult? Yes! Does it say anything about how the other person has to act? No! We still have to find a way to love them - at least how to treat them decently.

Do we Christians forget that this Commandment is for ALL TIMES? Not just for Maundy Thursday?

I'm so embarrassed that at least some of the problems are created by my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! Grow up! Quit judging - start loving. Plain and simple! No ifs, ands, or buts.

I guess I don't have anything dynamic to say - no profound words. But for heaven's sake, people. Let's get our acts together! Just stop the madness!

How Do I Love My Enemies?

I don't know if this is a prayer, a complaint, a "sermon," an article, or what this is. Maybe I'm just talking...maybe just to myself.  I hope this relates to you.  If you have it figured out, let me know how!

The picture above has quotes and paraphrases from scripture - direct from the words of Jesus.  Is he serious?  I'm supposed to love my enemies? He wants me to do good to those who hate me? Jesus tells me to bless those who curse me?  And to top it off, I'm supposed to pray for those who mistreat me?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm a pastor. I "have it all figured out." Well, the truth is - I'm far from it.  Oh, I WANT to be there - I WANT to be able to do these things. I can SOMETIMES do these things. But it's so dang hard to do it willingly.

Who are my enemies? Well, there are those who are far away - people I'll probably never meet - political enemies? Is that the correct word? ISIS (or is it ISIL? IS? you know who I mean), I write enough about Rwanda's Dictator, Paul Kagame and get harassed personally by his paid trolls...I guess he's technically a political enemy.  What about different groups who may not hate me personally but hate my views? They hate Christians (not disagree, but hate - wish death upon me...or at least people like me).  There are people who hate Americans (again, not disagree but hate).  I suppose all of those, and some more that I can't think of right now are my "enemies."

I guess I have more enemies.  That person who cut me off on the highway the other day.  I didn't have pleasant thoughts about him or her (I didn't get a good view of anything but the person's bumper to know if the person was a he or she).  I didn't wish death upon the person, but I had some choice words - from inside my car. Thankfully I kept the gestures to just my mind. There are some people from when I was a kid that I haven't reconciled with. I have no idea where they are now. I don't know how much was my fault and how much was theirs. I suppose it doesn't matter at this point. But, like the 2 Koreas - we are technically enemies...I guess. Maybe I'm overanalyzing.

Some people just plain don't like me. Our personalities clash. I have problems with other people. I don't know if I don't like them or not - maybe it's unfair to say that others don't like me - maybe I should just leave it as our personalities clash.  There are people I'm close with and we have arguments - sometimes bitter.  Does that make that person my enemy? Maybe for that time. What about the people who have hurt me and haven't apologized? Some of them don't even know. It's been years for some. Why should I hold it against them if they don't know? Did they do it on purpose? Maybe, Maybe Not. But maybe they've changed from who they were then to who they are now.  We're all changing everyday.

Honestly, I didn't set out to plan how I would write this. Is this "stream of consciousness" writing? But I think I'm onto something. We're all changing everyday.  If our God is real - and I'm convinced that is the case - Then loving my enemies is a process, not an instantaneous reality.

Salvation is a lifelong work of God through Christ. The question, "Are you saved?" makes me uncomfortable.  The better question is, "Are you justified." Or, in more common terms, "Have you allowed Christ to forgive your sins?"  From that moment, we are BEING saved.

Yeah, we're saved from our sins in a moment, but we're saved from so many other things all of our life.  For me, maybe I'm being saved from myself.  But that's another long story.

How do I love my enemies? I don't have the full answer. But I suppose I can  pray for them. At least in my life, prayer has led to many life changing realizations and changes. God isn't done with me. God isn't done with any of us. Do I love my enemies? I don't know. Can I love my enemies. With God's help, I'm sure the answer is, "Yes."

Book of Revelation Commentary and Discipleship Study

My most recent book is titled The Book of Revelation: Commentary and Discipleship Study.  This book is intended for individual and group Bible Studies.

The book includes the Scripture (in the World English Translation - a free public domain translation) and then commentary followed by discussion questions.

This study uses Revelation as a call to Christian Discipleship. Rater than focus on predictions and telling the future, I focus on how God plans to redeem the world and our role as Disciples of Jesus Christ.

Obviously there are many ways to read any biblical text. The discipleship method is faithful to Revelation because that is exactly what John of Patmos is calling the 7 Churches to whom he is writing to do - become deeper in their discipleship.

You can purchase a copy at amazon.com at this link

Stories that Form Us - Sermon

(I delivered this sermon on Christmas Eve 2014. It is not verbatim since I use the barest of notes and my memory when preaching)

So many people get nostalgic at Christmas time. Every year, we watch the same Christmas movies. Will George Bailey save the Savings and Loan from Mr. Potter again this year? Will Bedford Falls be ok?  Will Rudolph lead Santa's sleigh this year? Of course we know the answers, but yet we watch them nonetheless. And if we are honest, we still even experience some suspense.

Christmas is a time some of us get with friends and family and share the same stories that we've shared for years...or we may sit alone and remember the private memories that we don't want to share.

Why do we do this?

The stories of our lives form who we are.  They explain who we become. We act certain ways because of what has happened to us in the past. If you listen to a person long enough, you will find out what is important to him or her...just by listening to the stories.

For me, Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Once the clock strikes 12:00 on November 1, I'm technically allowed to put up the first Christmas tree in the house! (Yes, we have several). It's not the presents...In fact, I only remember a few gifts from when I was young. Christmas means so much more. I remember the experiences.

On Christmas Eve, we would go to my maternal Grandparents' house for supper. The whole family would be there. We kids would play, and then get anxious because that was the one night out of the entire year Grandma insisted on hand washing the dishes and not using the dishwasher. It's not like she used fine china...It was just her regular plates and silverware.

My sister, cousin, and I eventually worked out a spy ring. One would hide under the dining room table, one at the entrance to the kitchen, and another behind the fridge. We had hand signals to let each other know how much longer it would be until it was time to open presents.

On Christmas Day, we'd go to my paternal Grandma's house. She used paper plates! But she always made my favorite mashed potatoes! There was one year that I took it as a personal insult when she wanted to make a "lite lunch" and made potato salad. We spoke again a few weeks later.

But Christmas also meant snow, decorating, making cookies, sledding, and of course, stories!

There was the year my uncle told 5-year old me that he shot a guy wearing all read out in his back yard. I was scared the whole night that Santa wouldn't come. And there was my Grandma's Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. I was young and got to pick it out for her. She saw it and cried because, "The damn thing was so ugly." (My Grandma was not one to use strong language, so it must have been bad). My dad took her to the grocery store and my uncle and I decorated it. She came back and cried again because she had "never seen such a beautiful tree." My kids and wife endure these stories multiple times every year!

I remember the last Christmas with my Grandpa being alive. He had surgery that put him in a coma. After his brain waves stopped, we removed life support, but he hung on a few days. He was in a hospital 3 hours away on Christmas Eve. I remember sitting in HIS chair - the one he was VERY possessive of! I wouldn't leave it. It was the last connection I had to him. He died three days later.

It's normal for people to keep memories alive. It's even Biblical! In the Old Testament, when God did something amazing for the Israelites, something like the Passover, God commanded them to remember this day and do something to commemorate it. Depending on the tone of the holiday, it would be a joyous celebration or a somber remembrance.

The Bible is God's Story. The Christmas story is our entrance into God's story. Jesus came for all people - Gentiles and Jews. This is God's continuing story of God with us - Emmanuel (Hebrew - Im [with] enu [us] el God]). This Christmas story is where we - individually and corporately enter God's story.

We can now be part of God's Family!  In the words of Church Father Athanasius of Alexandria - "God became man so man could become god." He DID NOT mean we would be literally god, but rather we could share in God's promises because of God becoming human in Christ.

And now, with new eyes, read the Christmas Story:

Luke 2:1-20 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Blessed are the Peacemakers - More Reflections on Race

I honestly don’t know how to begin. I honestly don’t know where this is going. Lord, lead me as I write!

People rarely like to talk about race. Many people will say they are “colorblind” when it comes to race. That statement, as well intentioned as the person saying it means it to be, cannot and should not be.

God created us as embodied souls – or souls with a body. Either way, one cannot be separated from the other…at least in this earthly life. Part of our bodies includes our skin. My skin happens to be white.

What is white skin? To look at it, “white” may not even be the best description. My skin is more tan or pink than white, but yet people classify me as “white.” I have some brown hair on my arms, a few moles and blemishes, some scars, but that doesn’t change my classification as “white.”

Some people prefer that I describe my race as European-American because saying that I’m “white” implies that I consider myself “elite” in comparison to others. My ancestors came from Europe. European-American is my ethnicity. But race is different. When I say “white,” I am describing what I see in the mirror – or rather what others have termed my skin tone to be. I don’t use “white” as an inherent descriptor of power, though I will discuss that later.

Race is a human construction. Ethnicity is not. Humans have a need to determine what makes each of us different from others. Ethnicity is a descriptor of our ancestral origins. Humanity invented race to say that one color is better than another color. History has shown that people's minds consider “lighter” skin colors superior to “darker” skin colors.

Obsession with skin colors caused slavery – or at least American slavery. Obsession with skin colors caused colonization of the African continent. Obsession with skin colors caused segregation where blacks were forced into sub-standard institutions to keep things “pure” for whites. Obsession with skin colors is sadly alive and well today.

In just the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Grand Juries failed to prosecute police officer Anthony Baez who used a chokehold on Eric Garner, killing him. A previous Grand Jury acquitted another police officer, Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown. 

The issue, however, is not specifically about Garner and Brown – but do not, for one second, think that I am diminishing the importance of these lives!  The larger issue is the obsession with skin colors and the lack of justice in the history of America for black people.  If we could truly say that these were isolated issues, and if we could be assured that both Grand Juries gave full fairness to both cases, and if we could say that blacks were treated equally with whites, then there would be little issue. Maybe there would be some raised eyebrows. Maybe some would disagree with the decisions, but the issues would not reach national importance.

America suffers from a 400-year problem of obsession with skin color. That obsession is called racism. Racism can ONLY come from the powerful – the white skin.  Minorities can be bigoted, they can be rude, they can be hateful, but they cannot use a tool that belongs only to the powerful. Minorities cannot be racist.

Racism consists of more than disliking someone based on skin color – that is being bigoted.  Racism is a systematic disease. Racism is visible AND invisible. Racism exists in peoples’ actions and in the collective mindset. Racism prevents mobility of the minority that is being targeted – intellectual, spiritual, and physical mobility. Racism kills – it kills the mind, it kills the soul, and it kills the body. 

Jesus calls his followers to be peacemakers in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5.  A peacemaker DOES NOT throw up a “yeah, but…” every time an uncomfortable and tragic situation comes our way. Have blacks committed horrific crimes as well? Yes. All races have. But, such is not the point. The discussion at hand is about justice for God’s black children. Later, if needed, we can have a different discussion. A peacemaker does not use counter-examples to hold to the status quo.

A peacemaker reaches across uncomfortable spaces and extends the hand of peace. Most (if not all) who read this post did not serve on the Grand Juries in question. Most who read this are probably good people who love their neighbors. We don’t need “good people” right now.  We need peacemakers from the white community.  We need whites to stand in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters. We need white people who are willing to say, “I have never felt your pain. I have never had anyone look at me and question whether I am a criminal or not. I have never gone through any of that, and I want a world where you don’t have to either.”

Throughout the Bible, God, without exception, stands with the poor and oppressed. Again, now is not the time for whites to describe how we may be oppressed. It is true that others more powerful than us may oppress us. We will have time to deal with that oppression. If we are true peacemakers, we will be able to deal with all oppression with all people regardless of race.

America is in crisis. Crisis can end in a multitude of ways. People can choose how to handle a crisis. We can sit back and do nothing and let others fight the battle. That option is contrary to being a peacemaker. That option carries unknown consequences.  We can stand for the status quo. That too is not being a peacemaker. It is like one saying “peace, peace when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14).” We can be peacemakers. We all have different gifts and talents to do this. We can recognize that our black brothers and sisters are suffering. We may not be able to change every situation, but we can walk to road together. It will be difficult...It will be rewarding...It will be tiresome...It will be loving...

As everyone knows, in suffering, sometimes the best “medicine” is a companion.

Race, Faith, and Reflections on Ferguson

If you are looking for an answer to the "Race Question," I'm sorry to disappoint you. I don't have it. I've been rendered "speechless" since the Michael Brown Grand Jury reached its decision. This, however, in my opinion, is a symptom of a much larger issue.

First and foremost, an injustice was done. An unarmed black teenage boy was killed by a white police officer.  Justice will not be served. The Grand Jury has reached its decision. This, however does not say that white police officers are always in the wrong. It also does not give blanket immunity to law enforcement officers who are supposed to uphold our nation's and states' and localities' justice systems.

I cannot judge who should be punished, but in 2014, I would hope that the gun could be the absolute last resort for law enforcement who ARE NOT attacked with lethal force. There is mace, there are tasers, and there is the reality of calling for backup while pursuing the person in question while staying in one's car or at a safe distance.

I am not the police officer Darren Wilson. I did not make the choices he did. I am not Michael Brown. I did not make the choices he did. But what has ensued is just an agitation of a greater reality of today's United States (and most likely the world - in different forms).

This article will not judge who is right and who is wrong. The evidence speaks for itself. I hope to explore the "why" we got here and "how" we get to a place of redemption.

This case is a symptom of a long and tragic history in the United States. Racism runs rapid in both visible ways and in more sinister underlying ways. This is not the time to speak of "reverse racism." That can be discussed sometime later. The wounds are too fresh.

The great Christian Mystic, Pastor, and Academic, Howard Thurman said, "[The] impulse at the heart of Christianity is the human will to share with others what one has found meaningful to oneself elevated to the height of a moral imperative. But there is a lurking danger in this very emphasis (Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited, p. 12)." He goes on to say the sins of pride and arrogance can make this "sharing" an instrument of self-righteousness and even racial superiority.  He claims, "there is no basic relationship between the simple practice of brotherhood in the commonplace relations of life and the ethical pretentious of our faith (Disinherited, p. 13)."

Basically, Thurman is saying that our very Christian religion - one that is meant to unite - can be used as a tool to divide.  This division is not just upon racial barriers. In researching a sermon this week, I was astonished to find out that there are and estimated 41,000 Christian denominations in the world.  Denominations are NEVER formed out of unity - they are formed because "I" will not worship our God with "you."  Obviously, many of these divisions have come because of race.

What is race? Race is a human distinction created to divide people. There is very little, if any, genetic difference between any races on the earth. Skin tone is determined by one's mother and father and ancestors. Race IS NOT a sign of intelligence, worth, or capacity.

Being sinful people, humans have confined people of other races to places of despair. For many years before entering the ministry I was a school teacher. My wife and I taught in an inner-city impoverished area. Because of American politics (politics in this sense meaning the way that people work together or against each other), the inner-city was highly segregated (though not officially or legally). Our children - and yes, our students were our children - came from the "projects." I visited some of these projects, and many of them were places I would not raise an animal. Basic services were unheard of.

As much as we want to blame people of poverty, we must look at what put them there. Yes, some have made sinful choices, but the vast majority have no way to "move up."  There are too many barriers. I knew single mothers. They wanted to raise their children to have better lives than they had. These mothers had to work 2 and even 3 jobs to just keep food on the table because they lacked experience and education for a well paying job. Because of their plight, the children spent most of their time outside of school with a grandparent or other relative. This cuts into family relationships and ultimately a child loses (or at least suffers) the parent-child relationship. The mother in most cases did her absolute best to do what she could. The child would act out in school not out of malice but because he or she needed his or her mother. This in turn created hardship because she had to leave her job. It was a vicious cycle.

Inner Cities are notoriously lacking in the governmental funds that suburbs receive. Companies choose not to locate there and that drives money and opportunity away from those people. Fast Food chains invade. Healthy food becomes rare to find. Fast food is cheap and easy. Grocery stores with fresh produce are often long commutes away and difficult if not impossible for some people to reach on a regular basis.

Such conditions create an "us" vs. "them" mentality. People say, "We don't want them in our neighborhoods," so the cycle continues. These people as Thurman would say, "have their backs against the wall." There is no where to go.

Yes, there are exceptions, but exceptions do not prove a rule. Personally, I am an exception to many rules, but it is through the grace of God and not through any personal virtue. I could have easily been one with my back against the wall - of course under different circumstances.

I have no solutions. Not at this time. But I do know the ONE who does have the solution - our God! Our God works wonders, but our God expects that we followers do our parts too. We cannot tacitly sit on the sidelines and "cheer God's work." We too must engage in the work - not out of superiority but out of unity. What happens to one of us happens to all of us.

We cannot celebrate the killings of anyone. Every life matters. Even if a police or soldier shooting is "justified," I am pained because it went that far. I hurt because of a multitude of things that affect peoples' choices. But I thank the God who can give us the answers to even this.

What do we say about the riots? I don't know. When a person is confined and sees injustice after injustice, rage takes over. That is not a justification but it is an explanation. I don't know if the riots can be justified or not. I do know that God did not intend for us to be this divided. I hope that I can be a voice of love and peace. I pray that you will join me.

In the quote above, Thurman says that we should ask what makes us come alive. What makes you come alive? Life breeds life. Death is conquered. Shine your light - bring life!

I welcome your comments - both positive and negative. Let's keep the discussion respectable. I believe in the long run, we all want the same thing - "peace on earth and goodwill to those whom God favors (Luke 2:24)."

On Denial of the Rwandan Genocide

Recently the BBC News Network aired a documentary claiming that the Rwandan Patriotic Front committed war crimes in their invasion of Rwanda from 1990-1994 and during the Genocide of 1994.

The Genocide of 1994 officially only recognizes that Tutsis were the victims of this horrific act. It is also a known fact to the rest of the world that the RPF led by now President Paul Kagame (then a rebel group invading Rwanda), also committed atrocities against the Hutu population of Rwanda.

Victoire Ingabire (Pictured Above) is the public face for such a stand. She came from her relative safety to return to Rwanda to open the political discourse of that nation. Upon stating the obvious - that innocent Hutus were also killed - she was jailed, and after a series of events sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The official narrative of the Rwandan Genocide is nothing short of a crime against the humanity of the innocent Hutu victims whose families are not allowed to officially mourn the deaths of their loved ones within the borders of Rwanda - even 20 years after the horrific days of 1994. To do such would be a crime called "Genocide Denial" and/or "Double Genocide Ideology."

Such "crimes" are the ridiculous grasping of a regime that seeks to control the very thoughts of its subjects. Such "crimes" make independent thinking and human compassion illegal. Such "crimes" should not be supported by the international community, but yet they are. Rwanda is undergirded by the United States and the United Kingdom. There are no signs that this alliance of evil is weakening.

In recent weeks, I have been accused of Nazi Ideology for my above statements by members of the Government of Rwanda. Such claims are laughable, and yet they are tragic. People are dying for stating the truth. I was asked if Nazis were killed in the Holocaust. Such a question is flawed.

Nazis perpetuated the Holocaust against Jewish People. Nazis represented some German people - Not all German people. Some Hutus committed genocide against the Tutsis. This is not a question - this is a fact. All Germans did not commit, nor did they support the Holocaust just as all Hutus did not support the Genocide. Innocent Hutus were massacred in unspeakable numbers just as innocent Germans were killed in devastating numbers.

Do I deny a Genocide? Absolutely Not! I can never fully know the horrors of Rwanda in 1994 because I was not there. But I can know that Rwandans were killed. I can know that all Rwandans suffered to some extent in 1994.  I can know that what happened was sinful, disgusting, and tragic.

Until Rwandans themselves - Hutus and Tutsis - can come to this agreement - despite the powers that be, true peace will be but an illusion.

On Michael Brown and Ferguson Missouri

Regular followers to this blog will know that I often write of international injustice. But now injustice is in "my own backyard."

In Ferguson, Missouri, a young black man, Michael Brown was shot 7 times and killed by a police officer. That much is not in doubt. Many claim race was a motivating factor in shooting Brown - others claim that the officer was "doing his job." I've seen "counter-claims" recently where a white person who was unarmed was shot and killed, and complaints that the media was not covering THAT issue.

Of course, ALL lives matter - Black, White, Asian, and so forth! But the Michael Brown incident does not happen in a vacuum. It speaks to the larger societal problem here in the United States. That problem being Racism.

First, we must accept that racism is real and it is ugly and it is sinful. We cannot fall into "straw man" arguments that one group is racist in a different way from another in order to justify racism. Racism exists in the hearts of all people to some degree. We must admit it, and we can then move on to fixing it. Racism against minorities, however, is at a different level - it is oppressive and it prevents real lives from reaching their God given potential. Racism is built into our very systems of life - Government, Families, Churches, Neighborhoods, and Friend Groups. When the majority (whites) recognize this, a major step has been taken.

Second, we need to understand that oppression is real. Yes, slavery has been abolished - Civil Rights Acts have been passed, but the poverty level is a systematic injustice. The counter argument will say that certain "groups" do not work hard enough to get out of poverty. We can find counter examples in any group of people. But the sad reality is that minorities have more hoops through which they must jump in order to reach the social status of whites.

Third, we must see that minorities are subjects of suspicion whether or not they are guilty. I have many friends of various minority races in the US, and most of them (including those of middle to upper-middle class members) can recount more than one time where they were followed in a store as being suspected as a potential thief. Others have been asked why they were in a certain space when they were causing no trouble. The list continues. Yes, some minorities cause problems. Some whites cause problems. The color of one's skin does not predispose someone to leading a criminal or virtuous life. It is sad that a minority child must learn that he or she will be suspected as a criminal before he or she even becomes an adult. I can't even imagine what pressure that brings to the mind of a child.

I don't have the answers for what we can do to fix all of this. The "fixes" must come from the micro and the macro levels. As individuals we must be willing to cross the barriers and stand with the oppressed. We can't all travel to Ferguson, but we can all do something for race equality in our own areas. At the macro level, our "justice" system must be truly that - a JUSTICE system for all people! This may mean the passing of laws, enforcing existing laws, and doing what it takes to protect the inherent rights of our minority brothers and sisters.

And most importantly, I believe that is the answer. One day, we must stop saying we are "allies," but we must say that we are brothers and sisters. When we say it, we must mean it!

God help us!

Colonialism Redux

Colonialism used to be easy to define. One nation with advanced weaponry would invade another nation (usually a South American or African nation) with less advanced weaponry, enslave the people, and exploit the resources.  Millions of innocent lives were lost to Colonialism, dignity was lost, basic human rights were lost.  What the world is not understanding is that Colonialism has taken another form in today's world. The players are the same, but the tactics are different. Sadly, the results remain just as tragic.

We no longer live in a world where an outright invasion in order to steal the resources of another nation would be tolerated. Of course, that is violated from time to time under the pretension that the nation that is invaded is a global threat, developing weapons of mass destruction, or some other insidious lie.  We saw this when the US and the UK invaded Iraq. Yes, Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator. I will not defend him, but the motives for going to war had nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction. The motives were a form of colonialism. Thousands of US and British soldiers as well as innocent Iraqis and Iraqi soldiers lost their lives in what was based on a lie. Is the world better off without Saddam? That is a question I cannot answer. The Sermon on the Mount does not give me permission to hate even those who hate me. Truth be told, I would rather not have to deal with the likes of Saddam, but to wish his death is equal to hate.

We now see Russia and the United States engaged in a new "Cold War" over Ukraine. Do not be fooled. Neither nation has one bit of sympathy for the innocent citizens of Ukraine who are victims in these battles. Both nations are engaged in a battle of wills for resources and the hearts and minds of the Ukrainian Government that will ultimately feed those resources to either the US or to Russia.

This week, US President Barack Obama held a forum for African leaders. He praised Rwandan strongman dictator Paul Kagame for his leadership and even gave a nod to the ineffective dictator of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila. At the same time, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was not even invited to the summit. As I later found out, Mugabe is not even allowed to travel within the US Border.

If we look at the human rights records of these three African leaders you will see first of all that people who are in leadership of a nation are forced to make decisions that I as a Christian cannot ethically or morally make. The same can be said for ANY nation! But, how can two men (Kabila and Kagame) who are personally responsible for the deaths of at least a very conservative estimate of 6 million innocent people be praised for their leadership? How can a president (Mugabe) who refuses to allow Zimbabwe to be robbed of its minerals be considered a criminal?

This all goes back to "Colonialism Redux." Instead of directly invading nations, the powerful nations install or support puppet governments. It is public record that President Bill Clinton blocked every measure in the UN to send aid during the Rwandan Genocide so that Kagame's RPF could take control of Rwanda.  It is well known and reported that Kagame sends militias into the Congo under the pretext of eliminating the FDLR (an opposition group - or now - a refugee group of Rwandans who cannot return safely to Rwanda). Under this pretext, he is funneling the minerals so rich in Congo to Rwanda and ultimately to the US and UK.

Why would the nations support Joseph Kabila? One could find a rock with more leadership skills than this president. He does nothing, rigs elections, and allows his nation to be raped and pillaged.  That is why powerful nations call him a leader they can support.

Colonialism is far from over! It is time for citizens to demand that other people around the world without a voice be treated as humans created in the image of God.

It is time we stop listening to the xenophobic rants of pundits such as Ann Coulter who says that our concern should only be within our own borders and that the battle is really between liberals and conservatives. This is a red herring meant to distract. God knows no borders. Liberal and Conservative are misnomers (at best) and false labels.

Colonialism must be called what it is. The enslaved must be set free.